If There Were Multiple Killers Wouldn't We Expect to See More Killings?

[RivkahChaya]

Simon,

What do you make of the fact that the two letters sent to the Central News office don't appear to have been written by the same person, but do look very much alike, as though they were written by people who either had gone to the same school, and been taught to write the same way, or worked together, and were both required to use a certain style of writing, or, third and last suggestion, the person who wrote the second letter had seen the first one-- the actual letter-- and was familiar enough with it to deliberately copy the style, meaning either he had the letter or a photo of it in front of him, or it was written in some identifiable way (ie, D'Nealian; German Gothic; Spencerian) that the writer of the second letter would understand by name, and be able to produce.

[Simon Wood]

Hi Rivkah,

With Jack the Ripper the LVP press thought they'd died and gone to heaven.

The police at the time knew who wrote Dear Boss. They also knew it wasn't the killer and it wasn't a reporter.

As I'm preparing a lengthy article on the subject, for the moment I'll plead the fifth amendment.

Regards,

Simon

[RivkahChaya]

No problem, Simon.

FWIW, I do think the press had a hand in sensationalizing the case to the point that is has remained in people's consciousness up to the present. There is so much closely-based fiction, as well as pastiche (eg, the Star Trek episode), and the fact that "[fill-in-the-blank] Ripper" was pretty much the generic term for "serial killer" until the Ted Bundy investigation gave us a more clinical term, almost 100 years later. (Bundy was executed in Jan. 1989, and committed his last murder in 1978, but I don't know exactly when the first use of the term was, and "serial murderer" apparently has been around since the 1960s).

It's pretty much agreed upon by people who really know anything, that the letters which first used the name "Jack the Ripper" was by a reporter, and IIRC, the police at the time had a fair idea which reporter, didn't they?

I'm not denying that murder practically sells itself, but again, IIRC, the London papers put out lots of special editions when Ripper murders happened that Fall, to try to scoop one another, and to get a lot of people to buy an extra paper that day, and the papers had headlines like "HORRIBLE MURDER!" in huge type.

I'm not going to try to claim that several women didn't die that Fall-- in fact, that's probably the one indisputable fact we have.

[Simon Wood]

Hi Rivkah,

Sorry, I took you seriously.

But I still think the bodice-rippers are a great idea.

Regards,

Simon

[RivkahChaya]

Hi Rivkah,

I suggest you concentrate on writing bodice-rippers and leave the thinking to others.

Regards,

Simon

Uh, Simon? That post was a joke, and actually was meant to support your point about the line between common sense and quackery in revisionism.

[lynn cates]

Subjunctives R Us

Hello Mike. Thanks.

"The FBI even state that a combination of these might be at play, and even an evolving motivation."

Indeed. Or as the various exigencies of explanation arose.

"Because he was indoors, having no concern about an intruding constable, his act could now be completed to fruition."

Yes. Of course, he could have brought it to fruition any time he chose.

"...but of course, that IF he was a serial killer."

Good. And I like the upper case "If." Thanks.

Cheers.
LC

[mklhawley]

Hello Mike. Thanks.

Yes, quite interesting.

I think Kate's killer was very shrewd and calculating--a real planner. Not sure he needed much of that kind of motivation.

Cheers.
LC

Hi Lynn,

Very interesting how you put this. IF this was a serial killer, 'planner' suggests organized behavior, and 'motivation' does not necessarily have to be sexually based. Among the FBI's list of serial offender motivations, many others fit nicely. The FBI even state that a combination of these might be at play, and even an evolving motivation. Because he was indoors, having no concern about an intruding constable, his act could now be completed to fruition. ...but of course, that IF he was a serial killer.

Sincerely,

Mike

[RavenDarkendale]

Hi Rivkah,

I suggest you concentrate on writing bodice-rippers and leave the thinking to others.

Regards,

Simon

I take it that you mean yourself. Why? Rivkah makes a good point. What if this were a long line of misconstrued coincidences? Poly Nichols' death wasn't a pretty sight. Already unnerved people would see a pattern where perhaps none existed.

You like the suggestion that JtR never existed in the first place. It falls within the realm of possibility, even probability, that JtR was a reporter's invention to link crimes just because they went unsolved.

Now Rivkah suggests a possibility where the victims, as linked murder victims, were also an invention, no doubt to sell papers. It could have happened. William Randolph Hearst fomented public rage to back the Spanish American War to sell papers. He is credited with saying to his writers, "You just write, I'll supply the war."

[lynn cates]

real

Hello Rob. Thanks.

Oh, they were real, right enough, as I'm sure you also believe.

Cheers.
LC

[lynn cates]

shrewd

Hello Mike. Thanks.

Yes, quite interesting.

I think Kate's killer was very shrewd and calculating--a real planner. Not sure he needed much of that kind of motivation.

Cheers.
LC

[lynn cates]

sensible reply

Hello Simon. Thanks.

Ah! Common sense. I am given to understand that this is what ONE has and the OTHER fellow lacks. (heh-heh)

Cheers.
LC

[Simon Wood]

Hi Rivkah,

I suggest you concentrate on writing bodice-rippers and leave the thinking to others.

Regards,

Simon

[RivkahChaya]

Hi Lynn,

I'm with your third possibility.

People in denial call it historical revisionism, but I prefer to call it common sense.

Regards,

Simon

Historical revisionism would be something like this: "Stride committed suicide; Eddowes was raped in jail, and murdered by the police as a cover-up; Mary Jane Kelly was an unidentified body from a morgue, staged by journalists to sell papers, and there never was a real 'Mary Jane Kelly' in the first place. McCarthy let prostitutes use the room and took a cut. 'Mary Jane Kelly' was the name on the books he used as a cover. Nichols was a mugging gone bad; and Chapman just died, and then became fodder for a disgusting prank by people who had heard the rumor about the guy who wanted to include a uterus with each copy of his article."

[Simon Wood]

Hi Rob,

Now you're just being silly.

Regards,

Simon

[robhouse]

Hello Nic.

"I find it hard to believe that he just stopped killing. The other possibility was that he was sent to prison or even an asylum."

Or a third possibility: he never existed to begin with.

Cheers.
LC

Or a fourth possibility... the victims never existed either.